Electric water heaters utilize a replaceable heating element that is typically attached threadably to the tank of the water heater. Periodically, the heating element must be changed. Although the manufacturers of most electric water heaters recommend that all of the water be drained from the tank before the heating element is changed, this step can take a considerable period of time to complete. Where a professional plumber is performing the task, the resulting cost can be quite high. Accordingly, to expedite changing the heating element, most plumbers have traditionally just removed the element without first draining the tank. This normally results in a relatively modest amount of water (e.g. 1-2 cups) draining out of the tank through the heating element receptacle. Although the amount of water discharged is limited, it still presents a mess that must be cleaned.
Normally, the person changing the heating element can use a sponge or a rag to catch and absorb the water that has leaked from the water heater. In the past, the heating element was usually mounted within a recessed compartment in the wall of the water heater case. It was relatively easy for the plumber or other person changing the heating element to insert a sponge or rag in the compartment between the tank and outside case, which would adequately catch the leaking water and limit the resulting mess. However, newer water heaters utilize a sealed compartment between the tank and the case of the water heater. The heating element compartment is effectively sealed by a foam dam and there is little or no room to insert a sponge or rag. In such cases, when the heating element is removed, most if not all of the water leaking from the opening runs downwardly along the outside wall of the water heater. This invariably creates a more annoying mess, which the plumber or other person performing the element changing task must address. In addition, under any circumstances, it is undesirable to expose even the limited amount of water that leaks from the heating element receptacle to the nearby electrical components and wiring of the water heater.